1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic paper loading device for photographic printers, and a method therefor. More particularly, the invention is a paper loading system which cooperates with the loading of a paper magazine into a photographic printer, and is thus automatically ready for the paper loading.
2. Description of the Related Art
A paper magazine containing a roll of photographic paper therein in light-tight fashion is set or loaded in each photographic printer. The photographic paper is drawn out of the magazine and fed to an exposure station by means of a pair of feed rollers.
In a conventional photographic printer, it is necessary to prepare the printer for paper loading before setting a paper magazine therein. That is, paper data such as paper size, surface kind, sensitivity, and the like, must be entered through a keyboard in order to achieve proper operation. A paper transport system of the printer is adjusted based on the paper data, so that the width of a paper passageway of the transporting system corresponds to the width of the photographic paper. Simultaneously, the feed rollers which are disposed proximate the exit of the paper magazine are separated from each other.
Next, the paper magazine is set in a magazine chamber such that a paper leading end protruding slightly from the exit of the paper magazine is inserted between the feed rollers. Thereafter, when a command to start the paper loading is entered through a keyboard, one of the feed rollers starts rotating and moving closer to the other feed roller, so as to nip the paper leading end and draw out the photographic paper from the paper magazine into the photographic printer.
As set forth above, paper loading in conventional photographic printers is cumbersome, because it is necessary to prepare for the paper loading by entering various data and commands through a keyboard, or the like.